The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-03-05
"HYLOTOMUS PILEATUS::"
Or, the Black Woodpecker, as
Found cat Home"
The Advantages of Taking "Bird Notes. =
His Snaky Tongue and Eye-The
Woodpecker "On His Muscle"
An Intruder.

The study of birds has had charm
for the greatest as well as the simplest
minds of all time. Solomon and Homer
and Chaucer and Shakespeare, those
marvellous detectives of nature 5 secrets,
were as tireless in their observations as
Darwin and Wallace have been. The
aesthetic side of bird study is not less
fascinating than the scientific side, even
to intensely practical persons, and it
may be doubted whether any field of
investigation can afford a deeper in
sight into the mystery of life than that
which covers the history-so far as we
have it-of bird development from both
points of view. Even geology and anat-
omy borrow charm from their connec-
ton with this stream of melody and this
flash of color which come along with the
birds from time too remote to be told
by any calendar. 1t would not be hard
to find great many people who would
agree with John Ruskin in hurting
anathemas at those dry-as-dust special
lists who view all things, animate and
inanimate, as just so many words in a
catalogue of species or specimens; but
it is very rare indeed that an intelligent
person fails to feel the fascination of Il
free and liberal study of nature. Mere
ORTHODOXY is pleasing only to the
specialist, but untrammeled bird-study
is quite different thing, and has, as |
have said, captivated the great minds
of all ages. Why should it not. Next
to the cities and man, what can COM
pare with the woods and the birds?
Alexander Selkirk might well ask:
o Solitude, where are the charms
That sages have seen in thy face?
But there can be no solitude for the
truly contemplat;ve mind where birds
are. Such songs as the hooking bird
sings are at least fairly next to those
of Gerster and Patti. | should find even
the gulf coast hard to endure for any
great while if the birds were all ban
ished from it. With the memory of
hundreds of lonely but not lonesome
tramps in the gulf coast woods for
years past still fresh in my mind it is
not unnatural that | should speak with
some enthusiasm on the subject of birds.
Nowhere in the world is there a country
so favorably situated for showing lin
the proper seasons) the washing back
and forth of avian tides of migration as
is this coast and its billy background
from ST. Mark to New Orleans. So,
too, / may add that no region in
America equals it for the number and
variety of its resident birds. True
enough, the negro and the cheap shot
gun are doing all they can to kill every
thing that has wings Ga work in which
they are ably assisted by the agents of
the bird-fanciers and plume-gatherers),
but | have always been able to find
some spots where the beautiful wild
things appear to have been left to enjoy
their immemorial haunts without fear
of the pot or dread of the women's bon
nets. These spots are to-day just as
wild and lonely as they were when
Audubon first began his wonderful
work, and they still have in them just
as much that is new and strange. No
genuine naturalist can fail to be fas-
cnated the moment he reaches one of
them, ana the effect is quite as strong
on the senses of the artist. know one
place, scarcely q mile distant from the
Louisville and Nashville railroad track,
and not fifty miles from New Orleans,
where in less than three hours filled u
book with sketches and notes which, to
look at now, call up the most delightful
recollections and suggest a myriad of
thoughts as fresh and fragrant and full of
music and color as the spots themselves.
THERE'S long, narrow pond with a wood
of live oaks on each side. swamp at one
end, and pine forest at the other. No
clearing is in sight, no paths cross it,
no cattle Craze there, no negro comes
with his cheap shotgun. found it early
in spring, when the Notwithstanding
song birds had Just reached it for = short
sojourn. and when the resident species
were fairly beginning to dream of nest
building. All the elements were present
for successful study of bird-life;
perfect weather, all nature undisturbed,
and every grove rustling with wings
and melodious with songs. had a
brisk walk from little station on the
railroad, and as l entered the wood on